Trident Studios

People who remember the studios built in 1967 in Soho, London, also recall the relaxed atmosphere of everybody (apparently Abbey Road's engineers still wore white coats!).

This was coupled with state of the art recording equipment which allowed innovation but gave consistency to the output across different artists. The revolutionary, now legendary, almost mythical Trident 'A' Range multi-track recording consoles were originally built by and for Trident Studios, but as the grapevine hummed other studios soon placed orders.

Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles grabbed one of the first, and David Bowie, Rod Stewart, and Frank Sinatra are among the early artists who first recorded hits on the 'A' Range console.

Trident was the first UK studio to use the Dolby noise reduction system on eight-track reel to reel recording deck at the time that Abbey Road still used four-track. This drew The Beatles on 31 July 1968 to record Hey Jude and The White Album tracks Dear Prudence, Honey Pie, Savoy Truffle and Martha My Dear.

Later Trident became the first in the world to employ 16-track recording.

The Beatles' solo projects were also recorded there, including John Lennon and Yoko Ono (pictured above) with The Plastic Ono Band's Cold Turkey featuring Eric Clapton on lead guitar and George Harrison for some of his triple album, All Things Must Pass, containing the hit My Sweet Lord.

Other Apple Records artists used Trident, including Billy Preston, Mary Hopkin and James Taylor. Harry Nilsson laid down Without You there, too.

Paul McCartney famously often block-booked the studio without rolling up, but encouraged a new group called Queen to use the spare studio time.

Trident was also famous for the piano which is heard on Hey Jude and Elton John's Your Song. A much-prized, handmade C. Bechstein concert-sized instrument over a century old.

In March 1968 Manfred Mann recorded Trident's very first no. 1 at the studio, the single My Name Is Jack.